IP Library › Granted Patent US 12674383
Granted Patent B2
US 12674383 · App. 18/731,912 · Granted Jul 7, 2026

System and methodology for determining appropriate rate of penetration in downhole applications

Inventors: Zhanke Liu (Sugar Land, TX); Richard Morrison (Sugar Land, TX); Luis Silva (Houston, TX); Sascha Trummer (Richmond, TX); Jordi Segura Dominguez (Richmond, TX); Charles Kearney (Richmond, TX)
Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation
E21B44/02E21B7/00E21B19/22E21B29/00E21B45/00E21B47/12E21B44/00
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12674383
App. No.
18/731,912
Granted
Jul 7, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

Systems and methods presented herein facilitate operation of well-related tools. In certain embodiments, a variety of data (e.g., downhole data and/or surface data) may be collected to enable optimization of operations related to the well-related tools. In certain embodiments, the collected data may be provided as advisory data (e.g., presented to human operators of the well to inform control actions performed by the human operators) and/or used to facilitate automation of downhole processes and/or surface processes (e.g., which may be automatically performed by a computer implemented surface processing system (e.g., a well control system), without intervention from human operators). In certain embodiments, the systems and methods described herein may enhance downhole operations (e.g., milling operations) by improving the efficiency and utilization of data to enable performance optimization and improved resource controls of the downhole operations.

Claims (48)

1 . A method, comprising:

receiving a first set of fluid parameter data associated with a fluid pumped into a wellbore via a pump unit, a second set of fluid parameter data associated with a return fluid flowing through flowback equipment from the wellbore, or both;

receiving a third set of fluid parameter data associated with a downhole fluid flowing through a downhole tool in the wellbore;

determining whether deviations of values of one or more parameters of the first set of fluid parameter data, the second set of fluid parameter data, or both, are within respective predetermined ranges with respect to the third set of fluid parameter data; and

in response to determining that the deviations of the values of the one or more parameters of the first set of fluid parameter data, the second set of fluid parameter data, or both, are not within the respective predetermined ranges with respect to the third set of fluid parameter data, sending a control signal to automatically adjust at least one setting associated with the flowback equipment, the downhole tool, or the pump unit, and to automatically control operation of the flowback equipment, the downhole tool, or the pump unit in accordance with the at least one setting, wherein the at least one setting comprises:

a choke setting associated with the flowback equipment;

a position setting, a torque setting, a weight-on-bit (WOB) setting, or a combination thereof, associated with the downhole tool; or

a pump rate setting, a fluid concentration setting, or both, associated with the pump unit.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein adjusting the at least one setting comprises adjusting the at least one setting such that the first set of fluid parameter data, the second set of fluid parameter data, or both, are within the respective predetermined ranges with respect to the third set of fluid parameter data.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first set of fluid parameter data comprises a flow rate of the fluid, a pressure of the fluid, a rheology of the fluid, or a combination thereof.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the second set of fluid parameter data comprises a flow rate of the return fluid, a pressure of the return fluid, a rheology of the return fluid, or a combination thereof.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the third set of fluid parameter data comprises a second flow rate of the fluid, a second pressure of the fluid, a second rheology of the fluid, or a combination thereof.

6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving a fourth set of parameter data comprising a force applied to the downhole tool, a torque applied to the downhole tool, or both.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein adjusting the at least one setting is based at least in part on the fourth set of parameter data.

8 . A method, comprising:

receiving a first set of fluid parameter data associated with a fluid pumped into a wellbore via a pump unit, a second set of fluid parameter data associated with a return fluid flowing through flowback equipment from the wellbore, or both;

receiving a third set of fluid parameter data associated with a downhole fluid flowing through a downhole tool in the wellbore;

determining whether deviations of values of one or more parameters of the first set of fluid parameter data, the second set of fluid parameter data, or both, are within respective predetermined ranges with respect to the third set of fluid parameter data; and

in response to determining that the deviations of the values of the one or more parameters of the first set of fluid parameter data, the second set of fluid parameter data, or both, are not within the respective predetermined ranges with respect to the third set of fluid parameter data:

sending a control signal to automatically adjust at least two settings associated with the flowback equipment, the downhole tool, or the pump unit, and to automatically control operation of the flowback equipment, the downhole tool, or the pump unit in accordance with the at least two settings, wherein the at least two settings comprise:

a choke setting associated with the flowback equipment;

a position setting, a torque setting, a weight-on-bit (WOB) setting, or a combination thereof, associated with the downhole tool; or

a pump rate setting, a fluid concentration setting, or both, associated with the pump unit.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein sending the control signal to automatically adjust the at least two settings comprises:

automatically adjusting a first setting of the at least two settings;

receiving an updated first set of fluid parameter data associated with the fluid pumped into the wellbore via the pump unit, an updated second set of fluid parameter data associated with the return fluid flowing through the flowback equipment from the wellbore, or both;

receiving an updated third set of fluid parameter data associated with the fluid flowing through the downhole tool in the wellbore;

determining that the updated first set of fluid parameter data, the updated second set of fluid parameter data, or both, are not within the respective predetermined ranges with respect to the updated third set of fluid parameter data; and

automatically adjusting a second setting of the at least two settings.

10 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising receiving a fourth set of parameter data associated with the downhole tool, wherein the fourth set of parameter data comprises a force applied to the downhole tool, a torque applied to the downhole tool, or both.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein adjusting the at least two settings is based at least in part on the fourth set of parameter data.

12 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the at least two settings comprise the choke setting and the position setting, the torque setting, the WOB setting, or a combination thereof, associated with the downhole tool.

13 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the at least two settings comprise the choke setting and the pump rate setting, the fluid concentration setting, or both, associated with the pump unit.

14 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the at least two settings comprise the position setting, the torque setting, the WOB setting, or a combination thereof, associated with the downhole tool, and the pump rate setting, the fluid concentration setting, or both, associated with the pump unit.

15 . A method, comprising:

receiving a first set of fluid parameter data associated with a fluid pumped into a wellbore via a pump unit, a second set of fluid parameter data associated with a return fluid flowing through flowback equipment from the wellbore, or both;

receiving a third set of fluid parameter data associated with a downhole fluid flowing through a downhole tool in the wellbore;

determining whether deviations of values of one or more parameters of the first set of fluid parameter data, the second set of fluid parameter data, or both, are within respective predetermined ranges with respect to the third set of fluid parameter data; and

in response to determining that the deviations of the values of the one or more parameters of the first set of fluid parameter data, the second set of fluid parameter data, or both, are not within the respective predetermined ranges with respect to the third set of fluid parameter data:

sending a first control signal to automatically adjust a choke setting associated with the flowback equipment, and to automatically control operation of the flowback equipment in accordance with the choke setting; and

sending a second control signal to automatically adjust at least one setting associated with the downhole tool or the pump unit, and to automatically control operation of the downhole tool or the pump unit in accordance with the at least one setting, wherein the at least one setting comprises:

a position setting, a torque setting, a weight-on-bit (WOB) setting, or a combination thereof, associated with the downhole tool; or

a pump rate setting, a fluid concentration setting, or both, associated with the pump unit.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the at least one setting comprises the position setting associated with the downhole tool.

17 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the at least one setting comprises the torque setting associated with the downhole tool.

18 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the at least one setting comprises the WOB setting associated with the downhole tool.

19 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the at least one setting comprises the pump rate setting associated with the pump unit.

20 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the at least one setting comprises the fluid concentration setting associated with the pump unit.